Surface skimming munition

ABSTRACT

A surface skimming munition comprises a hull, a traction propulsion motor positioned in the hull and having a combustion chamber for combustion of a propellant, at least one aft directed nozzle coupled to the hull at a position forward of a center of gravity of the hull and comprising an inlet section and an outlet section, the inlet section in fluid communication with the combustion chamber and the outlet section directing combustion gas received from the combustion chamber through the inlet section in the aft direction, and at least one stabilizing plane coupled to the hull and moveable between a stowed position and a deployed position.

CROSS-REFERENCED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationNo. 61/452,931, filed on Mar. 15, 2011, which is incorporated herein byreference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates generally to a munition and in particularto a surface skimming munition.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

Munitions such as rockets and vessels are often deployed into bodies ofwater for travel to a specific target. Surface skimming rockets andvessels powered by either reciprocating engines or electric motorsdriving a propeller can achieve speeds well in excess of 100 knots. Thisis an efficient drive configuration provided that the water or seastates are relatively calm. In conditions such as Sea State 4, the hullwill generally be cresting waves in the 1 meter range. The propellers orwater jets can be airborne between the crest cycles resulting inconsiderable loss of propulsion efficiency. Pitch stability may also beconsidered as the propeller and hull engages and disengages the surfaceduring these cycles.

High angles of attack occurring during planing transients can subjectthe hull to significant aerodynamic forces and lift. In many cases,these forces can overwhelm the aerodynamic authority and response timeof the countering control surfaces. In addition, the angle of attackrelative to the munitions forward motion may be so high that thesesurfaces aerodynamically stall and loose effectiveness completelycausing the munition to flip over.

Various munition and munition propellant and control devices have beenprovided such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,725,797 to Hilleman,U.S. Pat. No. 7,690,309 to Kuklinski, U.S. Pat. No. 6,427,618 toHilleman, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,701,862 to Hilleman.

It is therefore an object of the present disclosure to at least providea novel surface skimming munition device.

SUMMARY

Accordingly, in one aspect, there is provided a surface skimmingmunition comprising a hull, a traction propulsion motor positioned inthe hull and having a combustion chamber for combustion of a propellant,at least one aft directed nozzle coupled to the hull at a positionforward of a center of gravity of the hull and comprising an inletsection and an outlet section, the inlet section in fluid communicationwith the combustion chamber and the outlet section directing combustiongas received from the combustion chamber through the inlet section inthe aft direction, and at least one stabilizing plane coupled to thehull and moveable between a stowed position and a deployed position.

According to another aspect, there is provided a surface skimmingmunition comprising a hull, a traction propulsion motor positioned inthe hull and having a combustion chamber for combustion of a propellant,at least one aft directed nozzle coupled to the hull at a positionforward of a center of gravity of the hull and comprising an inletsection and an outlet section, the inlet section in fluid communicationwith the combustion chamber and the outlet section directing combustiongas received from the combustion chamber through the inlet section inthe aft direction, and a thrust vector control system coupled to thehull.

According to another aspect, there is provided a surface skimmingmunition comprising a hull, a traction propulsion motor positioned inthe hull and having a combustion chamber for combustion of a propellant,and at least one stabilizing plane coupled to the hull and moveablebetween a stowed position and a deployed position.

The surface skimming munition further comprising an active or passivefeature located on the bow that initiates the formation of a cavitationbubble which allows the surface skimming munition to accelerate throughto a supercaptivated state when submerged or penetrating waves.

The surface skimming munition further comprising guidance and navigationcontrol system which communicates with a launch operator as well asother surface skimming missiles during the attack in order to refinetargeting accuracy and individual target selection within a group ofpotential targets.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a surface skimming munition;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the surface skimming munition of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3 a and 3 b are isometric views of the surface skimming munitionof FIG. 1 with the stabilizing planes and thrust vector control vanes inthe stowed and deployed positions;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a traction control motor forming part ofthe munition of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a side view of a nozzle and thrust vector control vane formingpart of the munition of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 6 a and 6 b are rear views of the munition of FIG. 1 showing thethrust vector control vanes in operation;

FIG. 7 is a side view showing a launch angle of the munition of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a further embodiment of a surfaceskimming munition;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a further embodiment of a surfaceskimming munition; and

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a further embodiment of a surfaceskimming munition.

FIG. 11 is an interior view of the surface skimming munition of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 12 is a right side bottom view of the nose portion of the surfaceskimming munition of FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 is a cross-section view of the nose portion of FIG. 12 alongline 12-12.

FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram of a plurality of surface skimmingmunition missiles to target surface mode radar with acoustic refinementsub-surface end game option.

FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram of a plurality of surface skimmingmunition missiles to target sub-surface acoustic mode.

FIG. 16 is a cross-section view of a TVC flex nozzle.

FIG. 17 is a front right-side perspective view of a sonobuoy launch tubeor shoulder launcher wherein the surfaces are retracted prior to launch.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Turning now to FIGS. 1 and 2, a surface skimming munition is shown andis generally identified by reference numeral 10. As can be seen, themunition 10 comprises a hull 12 having bow 14 and stern 16 portions.Stabilizing planes 18 are coupled to the hull 12 and are moveablebetween stowed and deployed positions, the details of which will bediscussed below. A traction propulsion motor 20 is positioned within thehull 12. The traction propulsion motor 20 comprises an internalcombustion chamber 22 extending longitudinally within the hull 12. Theinternal combustion chamber 22 is configured to receive a propellanttherein (not shown) and supply combustion gas upon ignition of thepropellant. The internal combustion chamber 22 is in fluid communicationwith a pair of aft directed exhaust nozzles 24 a and 24 b. The pair ofaft directed exhaust nozzles 24 a and 24 b are sculpted on the surfaceof the munition 10 at a position forward of the center of gravity of themunition 10. A thrust vector control system 25 is coupled to the hull,which in this embodiment comprises a pair of thrust vector control vanes26 a and 26 b that are coupled to the hull at a point approximatelymidpoint the hull 12 and are moveable between stowed and deployedpositions. The pair of aft directed exhaust nozzles 24 a and 24 b areconfigured to direct combustion gas towards the pair of thrust vectorcontrol vanes 26 a and 26 b when the thrust vector control vanes 26 aand 26 b are in the deployed position.

In this embodiment, the munition 10 is dimensioned to fit inside anA-Size sonobuoy footprint, which as one skilled in the art willappreciate, has a length of 36″ and a diameter of 4.5″. The munition 10is cylindrical in shape when the stabilizing planes 18 and thrust vectorcontrol vanes 26 a and 26 b are in the stowed position, and morphs intoa suitably stable aerodynamic and hydrodynamic hull form when thestabilizing planes 18 and thrust vector control vanes 26 a and 26 b areextended into the deployed position, in the event that the munition islaunched.

Turning now to FIG. 3 a, an exemplary configuration for the stabilizingplanes 18 and thrust vector control vanes 26 a and 26 b in the stowedposition is shown. In this embodiment, stabilizing planes 18 comprise apair of symmetrical planes 30 a and 30 b stored in a wrap-aroundconfiguration at the stern portion 16 of the hull 12. The thrust vectorcontrol vanes 24 a and 24 b are retracted within the hull 12.

FIG. 3 b illustrates the stabilizing planes 18 and thrust vector controlvanes 26 a and 26 b when in the deployed position. As can be seen, thepair of symmetrical planes 30 a and 30 b are unfurled from theirwrap-around configuration, but remain coupled along their bottom lengthto the hull 12. When in the deployed position, the pair of symmetricalplanes 30 a and 30 b are U-shaped, providing aerodynamic andhydrodynamic stability to the munition 10 in the event the munition 10is launched. Each of the thrust vector control vanes 26 a and 26 bextends radially from the surface of the hull 12. As can be seen, thrustvector control vanes 26 a and 26 b extend opposite in direction from oneanother. In this embodiment, the pair of symmetrical planes 30 a and 30b and the thrust vector control vanes 26 a and 26 b are moveable betweenthe stowed and deployed positions through use of an electric controlcircuit (not shown).

In this embodiment, the traction propulsion motor 20 is in the form of asolid rocket motor (SRM). As shown in FIG. 4, propulsion motor 20contains an internal combustion chamber 22. The combustion chamber 22 isconfigured to receive a propellant therein (not shown) and supplycombustion gas upon ignition of the propellant. The propellant may beany suitable oxidizing material such as, for example, hydraziniumnitroformate, ammonium dinitramide, etc. As mentioned previous, thecombustion chamber 20 is in fluid communication with a pair of aftdirected exhaust nozzles 24 a and 24 b. The pair of aft directed exhaustnozzles 24 a and 24 b are positioned forward of the center of gravity ofthe hull 10. The pair of aft directed exhaust nozzles 24 a and 24 b areconfigured to receive combustion gas from the internal combustionchamber 22 through inlet sections 42 a and 42 b and to direct thecombustion gas out of the exhaust nozzles 24 a and 24 b through outletsections 44 a and 44 b, towards the pair of thrust vector control vanes26 a and 26 b when the thrust vector control vanes 26 a and 26 b are inthe deployed position.

Turning now to FIG. 5, the combination of exhaust nozzle 24 a and thrustvector control vane 26 a is better shown. Combustion gas travels throughthe exhaust nozzle 24 a and is directed to pass through the thrustvector control vane 26 a. In response, the thrust vector control vane 26a directs the flow of combustion gas out of the nozzle 24 a providingthrust vector control in the yaw, pitch and roll axis. As will beappreciated, exhaust nozzle 24 b and thrust vector control vane 26 bhave an identical configuration to that of exhaust nozzle 24 a andthrust vector control vane 26 a. In this embodiment, the thrust vectorcontrol vanes 26 a and 26 b are made of a material that can withstandhigh temperatures such as for example graphic, metal alloys, ceramics,and high temperature composites.

FIGS. 6 a and 6 b illustrate an exemplary vector control movement madeby thrust vector control vanes 26 a and 26 b of the thrust vectorcontrol system 25. As can be seen, the thrust vector control vanes 26 aand 26 b as well as the symmetrical planes 30 a and 30 b are in thedeployed position. As can be seen in FIG. 6 a, thrust vector controlvanes 26 a and 26 b are aligned with respect to one another, therebyproviding equal control. As shown in FIG. 6 b, thrust vector controlvane 26 a is adjusted (compared to the position shown in FIG. 6 a) suchthat it is out of alignment and above thrust vector control vane 26 b,thereby providing control to cause the munition to veer to the right asindicated by arrow A in FIG. 6 b.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that control may be provided tothe munition 10 through use of any type of control and guidance systemssuch as for example autonomous, semi-autonomous, or remote controlsystems.

In operation, the munition 10 remains idle with the stabilizing planes18 and thrust vector stabilizing planes 26 a and 26 b in the stowedposition until the munition 10 is launched. When launched, munition 10skims along the surface of the body of water in which it is launched atan angle of attack, such as that shown in FIG. 8. Upon launch, thestabilizing planes 18 and thrust vector stabilizing planes 26 a and 26 bare extended to the deployed position. The traction propulsion motor 18ignites the propellant. Combustion gas produced by the burning of thepropellant creates an increase in pressure within the internalcombustion chamber 22. The combustion gas is directed out of theinternal combustion chamber 22 via inlet sections 42 a and 42 b of theaft directed nozzles 24 a and 24 b and out of the aft directed nozzles24 a and 24 b via outlet sections 44 a and 44 b, causing the munition 10to travel at a high speeds in excess of 100 knots. The exhaust isdirected in the aft direction towards the pair of thrust vector controlvanes 26 a and 26 b. In response, the thrust vector control vanes 26 aand 26 b direct the combustion gas out of the aft directed exhaustnozzles 24 a and 24 b providing thrust vector control in the yaw, pitchand roll axis. As the munition 10 skims the surface of the body of waterin which it is launched, the positioning of the aft directed nozzles 24a and 24 b enables the traction propulsion motor 18 to pull the munition10 through the body of water. This allows the munition to remain stablealong the vector of thrust. In the event the munition 10 must travelunderneath the surface of the body of water, for example during roughsea conditions in which the munition 10 may have to pierce a wave, thecombustion gas expelled by the aft directed nozzles 24 a and 24 b formsa cavitation bubble causing the munition 10 to accelerate through to asupercavitated state. This enables the munition 10 to travel without aminimal amount of drag compared to that of which a typical underwatertraveling object would encounter. It will be appreciated that themunition 10 may be launched from shore, sea or air platforms.

Turning now to FIG. 8, another embodiment of the munition 10 is shown.As can be seen, munition 10 is similar to that of the munition describedabove with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7, however the stabilizing planes 18further comprise a yaw stabilizing plane 80. The yaw stabilizing plane80 is moveable between a stored and deployed position, the deployedposition being shown in FIG. 9. In the deployed position, yawstabilizing plane 80 extends radially from the hull 12 in an upwardsdirection relative to the orientation of the munition 10 when it islaunched. Yaw stabilizing plane 80 provides additional control of themunition 10 with respect to the yaw axis.

FIG. 9 shows another embodiment of the munition 10. As can be seen,munition 10 is similar to that of the munition described above withreference to FIGS. 1 to 7, however the stabilizing planes 18 furthercomprise an inflatable nose stabilizing plane 90. The nose stabilizingplane 90 is stored within the hull 12 in a stowed position. In thestowed position, the nose stabilizing plane 90 is deflated. The nosestabilizing plane 90 is inflatable from the stowed position to adeployed position by use of an air pump (not shown), the deployedposition being shown in FIG. 9. In the deployed position, nosestabilizing plane 90 extends from the nose of hull 12, which is locatedon the bottom side of the munition 10 relative to the orientation of themunition 10 when it is launched. Nose stabilizing plane 90 assists ininitial static vehicle attitude and transition to cruising angle ofattack, if required. In this embodiment the nose stabilizing plane 90 ismade of an inflatable aluminum alloy.

Turning now to FIG. 10, another embodiment of munition 10 is shown. Ascan be seen, munition 10 is similar to that of the munition describedabove with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7 however the symmetrical planes 30 aand 30 b are inflatable from the stowed position to the deployedposition. In this embodiment, the symmetrical planes 30 a and 30 b areconnected to and located within the hull 12 when in the stowed position(not shown). In the stowed position, the symmetrical planes 30 a and 30b are deflated. The symmetrical planes 30 a and 30 b are inflatable fromthe stowed position to the deployed position by use of an air pump (notshown), the deployed position being shown in FIG. 10. Once deployed, thesymmetrical planes 30 a and 30 b act in a similar manner to thatdescribed above.

FIG. 11 is an interior view of the surface skimming munition of thepresent disclosure. FIG. 11 depicts the following components:

Rocket Motor 101 having a pressure vessel/combustion chamber containingpropellant that when ignited generates hot, high pressure gas.

Blast Tube 103 having an insulated conduit that connects the rocketmotor combustion chamber to the nozzle spider manifold 105 and carriesthe rocket motor combustion products during operation.

Nozzle Spider Manifold 105 having an insulated manifold that divides thegas flow from the blast tube to multiple nozzles as well as the dynamiccavitator.

Flex Nozzle 107 comprising a classic DeLaval rocket nozzle thataccelerates the rocket motor gas to supersonic speed by converting heatto kinetic energy. In this example, 4 nozzles are shown and incorporatea flexible divergent section that can vector in 2 or more axis toprovide thrust vector control. The nozzles provide thrust for themissile as well as roll, pitch and yaw control while augmenting thecavitation bubble initiated by the cavitator on the tip of the missilewhen the missile penetrates water.

TVC Actuator Module 109 having an electro-mechanical or hydraulic servodevice used to actuate the flex nozzles for TVC.

Dynamic Cavitator 111 which utilizes gas bleed on demand from the nozzlespider manifold in order to initiate supercavitation upon entry into thewater. By using this gas injection method, the dynamic cavitator caninitiate a state of supercavitation over a wider range of velocities andconditions when compared to a passive cavitator design.

GNC 113 which is a guidance navigation and control module. GNC ancillary113 example. Other locations can also be used.

Sensor 115.

Payload 121 Can be lethal or non-lethal or a scientific package etc.Sub-munitions or cluster munitions are shown in this example.Power/Ancillary 11, such as batteries or additional ancillaries, such asantennas, sensors etc.

Ancillary or booster 119 may include a small booster motor (not should)used to accelerate the missile at launch, or to augment thrust duringend game maneuvers. Can also be an ancillary, such as an anchor releaseand/or flotation device.

FIG. 12 is a right side bottom view of the nose portion or power head ofthe surface skimming munition of FIG. 11, clearly showing the nozzlespiders 105 and TVC flex nozzles 107.

FIG. 13 is a cross-section view of the nose portion or power head ofFIG. 12 along line 12-12, which depicts the gas valve 121 and gas portsbeing disposed between dynamic cavitator 111 and spider manifold 105,thereby allowing gas bubbles to pass from gas valve 121 into gas ports123 and out through dynamic cavitator 111 according to anotherembodiment of this disclosure.

FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram of a plurality of surface skimmingmunition missiles to target surface mode radar with acoustic refinementsub-surface end game option. In the example shown in FIG. 14, apotential target or target cluster would be acquired by radar as in theFIG. 15 below. The SSAMi(s) would then be launched and guided to thetarget area by radar. Rather than transitioning to sub-surfacepropulsion mode, thrust would be terminated on one or more of themissiles where they would enter the water and act a silent sonobuoy.Acoustic targeting information could then be relayed to other SSAMimissiles to refine the radar information and/or back to the launch pointto target subsequent missile launches. This could also be augmented withtraditional sonobuoys if required while providing surveillance inadvance of any attack that may be required. It may also be possible tocombine the methods in these two examples. Energy would be conserved forend game operation and more flexibility in a “swarming” scenario couldbe provided using this approach.

FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram of a plurality of surface skimmingmunition missiles to target sub-surface acoustic mode. Basic attitudeand directional control could be provided using a multi-axis gyroscopesystem in combination with forward and side looking horizon sensors,altitude/proximity means and GPS as a control example. The following arenotional targeting method examples. In this example shown in FIG. 15, apotential target or target cluster would be acquired by radar. Three ormore SSAMi missiles would then be launched and guided within closeproximity to the target in surface mode. At an appropriate distance, themissiles would then transition to sub-surface mode, perform a spreadmaneuver where guidance would be provided by narrow spectrum acousticmeans. The missiles would have the ability to communicate with eachother while refining targeting and end game maneuvers.

FIG. 16 is a cross-section view of TVC flex nozzle 107.

FIG. 17 is a front right-side perspective view of a sonobuoy launch tubeor shoulder launcher 131 wherein the surfaces of munition or missile 10are retracted prior to launch.

Although the thrust vector control system is described as comprising apair of thrust vector control vanes, those skilled in the art willappreciate that an additional vertical aerodynamic control surface maybe used if additional yaw authority is required. Further, differentialnozzle thrust control may be used for additional yaw control.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the thrust vector controlsystem used with the munition may be any type of thrust vector controlsystem. For example, in an embodiment, the munition may comprise asingle nozzle in the form of an annular nozzle orientedcircumferentially about the hull, the annular nozzle providing thrustvector control to the munition. In another embodiment, differentialnozzle thrust control may be used with the pair of aft directed nozzlesproviding thrust vector control to the munition. The thrust vectorcontrol system may be a gimbaled thrust system wherein the aft directednozzles are swiveled from side to side to provide thrust vector controlto the munition. The thrust vector control system may be a fluidinjection thrust vector control system wherein the aft directed nozzlesare fixed, but a relatively cool fluid is introduced into the combustiongas through use of an injection system.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that other types of nozzledesigns may be used such as for example a de Laval nozzle design.

Although the traction propulsion motor is described as being a solidrocket motor, those skilled in the art that any type of rocket motor maybe used. For example, the motor may be a bi-propellant rocket motor, agas generator (classical) hybrid rocket motor, or a solid state hybridrocket motor may be used.

Although the thrust vector control system is described as utilizing apair of thrust vector control vanes, those skilled in the art willappreciate that any number of thrust control vanes may be used, in anysuitable configuration.

Although the thrust vector control vanes are described as being made ofa high temperature material, those skilled in the art that they may bemade of any combination of materials capable of withstanding hightemperatures. For example, the thrust vector control vanes may be madeof a metal material that is cooled by water (in which the munition islaunched).

Although the stabilizing planes are described as being made of a rigidmaterial or an inflatable material, those skilled in the art willappreciate that the stabilizing planes may be made of a combination ofmaterials. For example, the stabilizing planes may be extended from thestowed to the deployed position as a planar surface, and may furthercomprise a plurality of inflatable members providing additional strengthto the stabilizing planes that are inflatable once the stabilizingplanes are extended to the deployed position.

Although the stabilizing planes are described as being inflatable by useof an air pump, those skilled in the art will appreciate that thestabilizing planes may be inflated using any type of fluid, such as forexample a type of gas or liquid. In an embodiment, a miniature gasgenerator may be used. As will be further appreciated, the inflationlevel of the stabilizing planes may further be configured and adjustedusing the fluid to optimize flotation and self righting characteristics.

Although the stabilizing planes are described as comprising a pair ofsymmetrical planes, a nose stabilizing plane, and a yaw stabilizingplane, each being moveable between the stowed to the deployed position,those skilled in the art that any type of stabilizing plane may be usedto control the path of travel of the munition, in any suitableconfiguration.

Although the stabilizing planes are described as being moveable betweenthe stowed and deployed positions through use of an electric controlcircuit or through inflation and deflation, those skilled in the artwill appreciate that variants are available. For example, thestabilizing planes may each be coupled at a pivot point inside the hull,and may be moveable between the stowed and deployed positions throughuse of a rotatable shaft. The rotation of the shaft may be activated bya mechanical actuator, a rotary actuator, etc. When the shaft isrotated, the stabilizing planes will extend to the deployed position orretracted to the stowed position. Those skilled in the art willappreciate that the stabilizing planes may be moveable between thestowed and deployed positions using other mechanical, structural andhydraulic variants. The thrust vector control vanes may similarly becontrolled.

Although embodiments were described in which the stabilizing planes aremade of an inflatable aluminum material, those skilled in the art willappreciate that they may be made of other types of materials such as forexample elastomers, polymers, etc.

Although the munition is described as comprising a pair of aft directednozzles, those skilled in the art will appreciate that any number of aftdirected nozzles may be used, in any suitable configuration. Forexample, the munition may comprise two pairs of aft directed nozzles,wherein one of the pair of nozzles is positioned adjacent to the otherone of the pair of nozzles. Further, the nozzles may be directed toseparate thrust vector control vanes.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the aft directed nozzlesmay be in fluid communication with the combustion chamber via a blasttube.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the munition may also beprovided with initial directional aiming and sea keeping capabilityprior to launch. For example, a small electric water jet or propellermodule may be jettisoned at the time of ignition to reduce mass anddrag.

When introducing elements disclosed herein, the articles “a”, “an”,“the”, and “said” are intended to mean that there are one or more of theelements. The terms “comprising”, “having”, “including” are intended tobe open-ended and mean that there may be additional elements other thanthe listed elements.

Although embodiments of the munition have been shown and describedabove, those of skill in the art will appreciate that further variationsand modifications may be made without departing from the spirit andscope thereof as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A surface skimming munition comprising: a hull; atraction propulsion motor positioned in the hull and having a combustionchamber for combustion of a propellant; at least one aft directed nozzlecoupled to the hull at a position forward of a center of gravity of thehull and comprising an inlet section and an outlet section, the inletsection in fluid communication with the combustion chamber and theoutlet section directing combustion gas received from the combustionchamber through the inlet section in the aft direction; and a thrustvector control system coupled to the hull; wherein the at least one aftdirected nozzle is configured to form a cavitation bubble causing thesurface skimming munition to accelerate through to a supercaptivatedstate when either submerged or penetrating a wave.
 2. The surfaceskimming munition of claim 1, wherein the thrust vector control systemcomprises at least one thrust vector control vane coupled to the hulland moveable between a stowed position and a deployed position.
 3. Thesurface skimming munition of claim 2, wherein the at least one thrustvector control vane extends radially from the hull.
 4. The surfaceskimming munition of claim 3, wherein the at least one aft directednozzle directs exhaust through the outlet section towards the at leastone thrust vector control vane.
 5. The surface skimming munition ofclaim 2, wherein the at least one thrust vector control vane is at leastone pair of thrust vector control vanes.
 6. The surface skimmingmunition of claim 1, wherein the at least one aft directed nozzle is atleast a pair of aft directed nozzles.
 7. The surface skimming munitionof claim 1, wherein the at least one aft directed nozzle is a de Lavalnozzle.
 8. The surface skimming munition of claim 1, wherein the atleast one aft directed nozzle is an annular nozzle.
 9. The surfaceskimming munition of claim 6, wherein the thrust vector control systemis configured to provide differential nozzle thrust control to the atleast one pair of aft directed nozzles.
 10. The surface skimmingmunition of claim 1, wherein the thrust vector control system comprisesa vertical aerodynamic control surface for providing additional yawauthority.
 11. The surface skimming munition of claim 1, wherein the atleast one aft directed nozzle is pivotally coupled to the hull and thethrust vector control system is a gimballed thrust vector controlsystem.
 12. The surface skimming munition of claim 1, wherein the thrustvector control system is a fluid injection thrust vector control systemcomprising an injection system providing fluid to the at least one aftdirected nozzle.